Star Athlete Gives Away $10M Home to Christian Camp for Kids with Disabilities

With the season of Christmas comes the season of light hanging, busy shopping, frantic wrapping, expert cooking, and, of course, Christmas caroling. The Christmas is often marked by a much more significant trait, however: generosity.

The holiday season is the perfect time to show generosity and love to the world. As we celebrate the birth of Christ through our songs and joy, we should also live it out through our actions. This Christmas, one famous athlete is showing the love of God through his latest generous act.

Major League Baseball player Cole Hamels and his wife, Heidi, are giving away their $9.75 million home. Their mansion, located in Missouri, will reportedly be given to a Christian camp that supports children with special needs and chronic illnesses.

The Christian camp is called Camp Barnabas and currently has two locations. Their mission statement focuses on the fact that "Christ always comes first," and their goal is to "point people to Christ in everything we do."

According to The Blaze, the camp welcomes children with special needs and illnesses as well as their families. Additionally, they serve visiting missionaries.

Hamels, the star pitcher for the Texas Rangers, said that the camp "really pulled on our heartstrings. Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve- there is truly nothing like it...we felt called to help them in a big way."

The camp's chief development officer, Krystal Simon, said that the mansion includes 32,000 square feet and is on over 100 acres. She said that it will "further our ministry and truly change thousands of lives for years to come."

CEO Jason Brawner said that the gift from the Hamels Foundation will help as the camp "strategically [looks] for ways to expand our ministry outside of a summer camp."

The Hamels had initially put their mansion on sale in August of this year. However, once they found out about the ministry of the camp they changed their mind on the sale. They added that the camp is "changing the way the world sees disability ministry."

Let us know what you think about this amazingly generous act! In other recent news, new details just emerged about the deadly Amtrak derailment. Please continue praying for those involved in this tragic accident.